Hey my HB Nation! So sorry for the delay - I was so focused on my contributions for this year's upcoming HB week that I couldn't work on anything else for a while. Now that I'm in decent standing for HB Week, I can refocus my attentions here. :D

Without further ado, please enjoy the conclusion of the Dark Tournament.


"We should be pretty close…" Kuwabara informed as he led the group of stragglers through the forest pathway.

"I hope we haven't missed the entire semifinals!" Botan bemoaned. After a long night of fun and games, the girls ended up oversleeping. To make matters worse, they completely forgot that the next round was held in another location entirely. It was only through a stroke of luck - good or bad, the ferry-girl couldn't yet determine - that Kuwabara ended up being teleported right to them via a mystical item held by the opposing team. As per usual, the odds were stacked against them, and she couldn't help but worry for the rest of the team. "...I hope Hiei and Kurama are faring okay on their own."

"They'll be fine. Shorty was all fired up, anyway," Kuwabara disclosed, jamming his hands in his pockets with a huff. "He was pulling out all the stops."

Yukina's rounded gaze peered over at Kuwabara with interest. "Hiei's got the gifted eye, doesn't he? I've heard whispers about it, but I've never seen it in action."

"Oh sure, if by gifted, you mean freakish," the psychic muttered defensively. He leaned in closer to Yukina, shoulders hunched and voice lowered conspiratorially. "Listen: don't start thinking he's cool or anything. 'Cause he's scary and he'll bite off your head when you least expect it."

Yukina let out a startled gasp.

"Take that back, Kuwabara!" Botan berated, stepping forward. "That's no way to talk about a perfectly decent guy."

"Decent guy?" he echoed in complete and utter disbelief. "Are we talking about the same person? This high, with a nasty attitude and a thirst for violence?"

"Hiei's much more than that!"

"Maybe to you, but he's rude and mean to the rest of us."

"And you're being awful to him right now when he can't even defend himself," Botan shot back. "Besides, you really shouldn't say such terrible things about him while you're in front of Yukina!"

"Why not?"

"Because she's-" The ferry-girl paused, catching herself before she could reveal too much. "She's new to the group and you shouldn't influence her like that!"

"Yeah," Shizuru agreed, a noticeably hard edge to her tone. "It's not very noble to talk about somebody behind their back, especially when that someone has a much higher victory percentage than you." The elder Kuwabara's expression slanted into a look of discontent. "I still can't believe you lost so easily."

"It's not like that, Shizuru!" he defended. "Shishiwakamaru's whole team was cheating. They've got all these weird tools and weapons that do sketchy things…"

Botan turned away from the group with a sigh, grateful that the topic was successfully diverted.

"That was a close call, woman." Hiei's voice was cutting as it entered her mind.

Botan winced guiltily. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Hn. I see the oaf unfortunately survived the Cape of No Return."

"It ended up transporting him to the old stadium - right around the same time we arrived. It was a good thing, too, because we had no idea where to go next," she disclosed. "But enough about that! How are you and Kurama holding up?"

"We won the first three matches. Kuwabara lost the fourth. And now Genkai stands in the ring."

"She's back already?"

"Yes, it appears her business with the detective was handled."

"Just in time, too. I feel much better now that it's the three of you against the last two members of Team Uraotogi!"

"Don't start celebrating. The old woman's drained. She's operating on less than half of her usual strength."

Botan bit her lip. "Koenma mentioned that she was passing her power on to Yusuke. I didn't think he meant it literally, but now I'm not so sure…"

"It would explain why she's no longer as strong as she once was."

"Well, let's not count her out. I'm sure she can still defeat the likes of Team Uraotogi."

"And if she doesn't, I will."

"Try not to overdo it!"

"There's not much choice at this point, ferry-girl."

"Right… well, at least be careful. We'll be there soon!"

.

.

.

After another intense round, Team Urameshi emerged from the semi finals one step closer to the finals. Botan lingered in an off beaten path with Hiei, expression steeled as she surveyed his condition. The fire-demon had ripped the remains of his shirt off, and the blue cloth lay in tatters at their feet. The litany of bruises and wounds scattered over his skin was the only proof he had to show for his victory. She tried to mask her growing concern as she healed injury upon injury.

"I'm kind of glad we missed most of the matches," she admitted conversationally, after closing up the nasty bite wound on his shoulder. "Kurama said the fights were brutal… yours especially."

"Too harsh for your delicate sensibilities, woman?"

"That's not it…" She shook her head. "I just don't like seeing you get hurt."

Botan saw the way he stiffened and tensed beneath her hovering hands. It was clear he wasn't expecting such an emotional response, but she couldn't help it. She was never good at filtering her thoughts or feelings and fortunately, Hiei never made her feel as though she had to. She finished healing him up in silence, letting the occasional chirping of the birds overhead and scuffling of woodland creatures between the trees ground her.

"Alright, all patched up!" she declared proudly. "I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Hiei rolled his shoulder experimentally and then shook his head.

Her smile receded slightly, apprehension carved into the shape of her expression. "As glad as I am that you all made it this far, I can't help but worry over what comes next."

Hiei's gaze was sharp, but not unkind as those crimson eyes rested on her. "You're supposed to be the optimistic one."

"I want to be, but…" she trailed off as she looked out into the distance. The wind was picking up, its whirring gust strong enough to dislodge some of the nearby tree leaves. The setting sun was soaked red, like blood, streaking the sky with sharp, warning shades. The oppressive veil of death seemed to hang heavier over the entire island tonight. "I can't shake this sinking feeling that something terrible is about to happen…"

"I know."

Botan's brows were rounded as she turned to face him. "You feel it, too?"

He nodded, expression grave. "The only thing left to do is face it. Sitting around lamenting over what may or may not come to pass is futile."

"How are you always so sure and unafraid?"

"I'm not, ferry-girl," he replied, voice tight. "But one way or another, I'm seeing this through until the end."

Botan's expression fell as she realized that Hiei was actually worried. It was there, in the crease of his brow and the clench of his jaw. She could see it in the stiff line of his shoulders and taut line of his posture. He had his own reservations, but even so, the fire-demon was facing forward and pushing onwards. He never wavered, he never backed down, and she couldn't afford to do so either. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It's a good thing you've got another day to prepare, then, isn't it? I'm certain you'll find a way. You always do."

Hiei glanced up at her and the tension in his body slowly unraveled beneath her palm. "You really believe that, don't you, woman?"

"Of course I do," she maintained, letting her hand fall away from the fire-demon. It made her heart ache that he had so much trouble taking her words for face value, but she had no problem repeating the sentiments over and over again until it finally sunk in. "I've always believed in you and you've yet to prove me wrong."

He held her gaze for a few moments longer, a firm resolution building in his eyes. "Then I suppose I shouldn't disappoint you in the final hour."

Botan smiled. For an instant, that sinking, foreboding stone resting in her stomach was weightless. Her hope was restored. And whatever dangers were looming on the red horizon were far, far removed from her mind.


The following day, Hiei trudged into the hotel in search of answers. While he was sure that he felt the old woman's presence fade completely last night, he couldn't be completely certain until he confirmed it with one of the others first. Yusuke was the last person he wanted to ask at this point. Kuwabara was ignorant to it all, judging by the oaf's countenance when Hiei saw him earlier. And Kurama had all but vanished into some desolate corner of the island as he prepared himself for the finals. There was only one person left who Hiei could turn to now.

He spotted the oaf's sister, the detective's woman and his own sister just exiting the elevator. He approached them without a second thought, wasting no time with pleasantries and instead opting to get straight to the heart of the matter. "Where is the ferry-girl?"

They all seemed to be surprised to see him making the first contact, but they recovered quickly enough.

"Botan wasn't feeling well, but she said she would join us soon," Keiko answered, lips tugging downwards. "To tell you the truth, she's been acting strange all morning. Maybe she's worse than she's letting on…"

If Hiei's intuition was correct, then he knew exactly what was wrong with the ferry-girl.

"Do you think we should go back and check on her?" Yukina asked, brows knitted in concern.

Any of the women standing before him would have been better suited to the task, but Hiei couldn't allow it. Botan kept them all at a distance for a reason. Ignoring that fact would be a direct betrayal of her wishes and that was something that the fire-demon refused to do. "I'll see to her," he announced.

The trio seemed to expect his response, much to Hiei's own surprise.

"We'll be down here waiting," Shizuru said, a somber note coloring her voice. The psychic must have known that something was amiss. "Tell her to find us when she's ready."

Hiei nodded his agreement, before heading up to their floor. The women's room door was slightly ajar, allowing him to slip inside without much fanfare. He could sense the ferry-girl in the bathroom, along with the unmistakable sounds of sobbing.

When he pushed the door open, he wasn't prepared for the sight that met his eyes. Botan was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest with her head bowed and buried in her arms. Her entire body shook with each muffled and sorrow-filled whimper. Curled up into herself like this, he could hardly recognize her. She was a far cry from the beaming, happy-go-lucky woman that teased him endlessly and meddled where she didn't belong. Hiei steeled himself as he crouched down to her level.

"Botan."

She sniffled and scrubbed the tears away, raising her head to view him.

"Hiei," she greeted, forcing a smile on her face through blurred and reddened eyes. "I was just–"

"You don't need to pretend with me, ferry-girl," he interrupted evenly. "I know what happened."

The woman's expression fell into tears once more. Without warning, she latched onto him, crying into his collarbone and clutching onto the back of his shirt for dear life. The fire-demon went rigid for an instant, caught between the instinct to push her away and flee from the contact entirely. He wasn't used to comforting anyone or doling out soft words and reassurances. He couldn't bring the old woman back, nor could he heal the ferry-girl's pain. But he could stay. He could be there for her, even without knowing the proper words to say or the right actions to take. So, he wrapped his arm around her and placed a steadying hand on her back.

He could barely make out what she was saying through her cries, but he managed to catch the gist of it: Genkai, the younger Toguro, Spirit World, death. With that, his suspicions were confirmed.

Shortly after, Botan's words devolved to nothing but quiet, broken sobs. There was little he was equipped to do except sit with her until the last of her tears dried and her breathing evened out. And that's exactly what he did. The fire-demon wasn't sure how much time passed with her in his arms, but eventually, the ferry-girl composed herself enough to pull away.

Her red-rimmed eyes were lined with grief as she regarded him. "I'm-"

"If you're going to apologize, don't bother."

Botan sealed her lips shut, the downward pull of her expression so unnatural and foreign on her face.

"The psychic wouldn't want you to wallow endlessly," Hiei noted. "And besides, this is far from over. We all have work to do."

Botan nodded mournfully. "I know… I have to be strong, especially for Yusuke's sake."

"Kuwabara doesn't know," he revealed. "You should keep it that way until the time comes."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, brows wrinkling under her searching gaze. "Kuwabara's as much a part of the team as anyone else; he deserves to know what happened…"

"The oaf is the softest of us all," Hiei reminded her. "The psychic's death might demotivate him. And if he loses his resolve, he's as good as dead."

Conflict flickered over her features, but she relented in the end. "I understand. I suppose this is for the best."

They both took a stand and he watched as Botan faced the mirror, wincing at her reflection. "I had better compose myself before I rejoin the girls."

For once, Hiei had to agree with her. From her flushed face to her swollen eyes to her messy hair, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out that something was wrong. Hiei pushed his hands in his pockets and exited the bathroom, lingering in the women's suite while Botan primped and preened herself.

As he leaned against the wall and waited on the ferry-girl, he couldn't help but wonder just how long she would have holed herself up in the hotel room and wallowed in despair if he hadn't come along. Knowing her, she would have shouldered the weight of Genkai's death all on her own if such a thing were possible. He found her self-sacrificial ways ironic, considering how often she tried to get him to shed his own burdens or at the very least share them with her. Not for the first time, he realized just how obstinate and unyielding the bluette could prove to be.

"Alright!" Botan padded back into the room. Her ponytail was upright and she had dabbed some makeup under her once reddened eyes. "How do I look?"

Hiei eyed her carefully. The smile on her face was plastic and thin; he didn't like it one bit. "Passable."

Botan pouted. "You really know how to inspire a girl's confidence, Hiei."

"So I'm told."

She shook her head, but he could see the hint of a real smile finally breaching her expression. Just the barest look of mirth lit up her eyes and softened her smile. "Your awful social niceties aside, what brings you here? Did you need something from me?"

"What?"

"You must have come for something… otherwise you'd be training now, right?"

"I wanted answers," he revealed. "But you've already confirmed what I needed to know."

"Genkai fell at the younger Toguro brother's hands," Botan reported bitterly. "Lord Koenma said they had a history all those years ago, before Toguro became a demon. Genkai likely knew this place would be her resting ground, but she came anyway, for Yusuke."

The fire-demon's fists tightened uselessly at his sides as he cursed his own powerlessness. Perhaps if they were stronger, they could have prevented this. They would have been able to stop Toguro from ending their teammate's life prematurely. They could have saved her, the way she constantly saved them, round after round. He gritted his teeth and shelved those thoughts. There was little point in dwelling on suppositions. He couldn't change the past. All that was left to do was secure his future.

"Hiei…?"

"Yukina and the others are waiting for you downstairs," he stated in a lame attempt to switch topics. "And I should get back to my training."

"Of course," she agreed, mercifully allowing the topic to fade out of existence.

They made their way to the hall and loaded in the elevator under a heavy and stilted silence. When the doors opened and they entered the bustling lobby, he spotted Yukina and the other women. Hiei found himself hesitating. Facing the possible risk of death was nothing new for the fire-demon, but the stakes were higher than he would have liked this time. It wasn't just the team's fate on the line; it was the rest of their motley crew's too.

"This will be the last time we see each other before the finals," Hiei stated suddenly, stopping Botan in her tracks. "Don't bother coming ringside this time. Suffice it to say: nobody will be holding back."

"I know," she replied. "Just… take care of yourself okay? I couldn't bear it if I lost another person I cared about…"

"I don't plan on falling to anyone from Toguro's team."

His choice in words wasn't the most apt, he only realized that much when he saw Botan's bottom lip tremble.

"Listen to me, ferry-girl," he ordered, drawing her misty eyes back to him. "Even if it seems as though I'm fighting a losing battle, I refuse to be defeated. I won't let this accursed island be my graveyard."

Botan took a deep and steadying breath as she nodded. "I'm counting on you to make it out of this alive, Hiei," she told him. "So, please don't let me down."

.

.

.

The finals flew by in a series of blood, death and pain. It held more twists and turns than Hiei cared to follow, before ultimately ending in Team Urameshi's victory.

But they weren't out of danger yet.

The stadium was set to blow, the ground quaking beneath their feet as parts of the dome collapsed all around them. Team Urameshi made their way up to the others in the stands while the audience clamored in the opposite direction, in search of the exit. As they reached the top, they found the women crowded around Keiko. It appeared the woman went completely catatonic. Hiei turned away from the scene to check on Yukina instead. The ice-maiden was too busy worrying over Keiko to realize that she was standing directly beneath a crumbling awning.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara bellowed, hand outstretched, but too far away to reach her.

The ice-maiden finally looked up, horror dawning over her features as the rubble descended. Hiei wasted no time, flashing over to his sister and moving them both out of harm's way.

"Thank you," she breathed out in relief, eyes wide as she watched the rubble crash down in the place she was standing mere milliseconds ago.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement and then helped bring his sister to her feet. She looked as though she wanted to say more, but was cut off when Kuwabara ran over to them and began fussing over her safety.

In the time that it took for Yukina to reassure Kuwabara that she was fine, Yusuke managed to bring Keiko back to full consciousness and the group was free to move on. Hiei would have trailed behind the rest of them, had he not noticed the way Botan lingered, glancing around frantically.

"Shizuru, George and Lord Koenma," she began over the noise as everyone else tried to evacuate. "I have no idea where they disappeared to!"

Hiei grabbed her wrist to halt her from heading off in the opposite direction. "If you waste time looking for them, your life will be forfeit."

"But-"

"They're fairly sensible. Trust that they will make it out in time."

Botan stared into his eyes, blue brows creasing as worry laced through every line of her expression. He could tell that she wanted to shirk out of his grasp, but Hiei refused to let her go. He would haul her over his shoulder and carry her out of this damned stadium himself if she chose to be foolish - autonomy be damned. The longer she lingered, the more he considered it. There was no time to deliberate over the fate of others when the entire dome was caving in on itself.

"Botan," he ground out between gritted teeth. Every muscle in his body was aching with exhaustion and his patience was wearing thin, but he would give her one last chance to make the smart choice. "We need to leave. Now."

A large tremor erupted, pulling the ferry-girl out of her hesitancy and forcing her to act. She watched another piece of the stadium collapse and made her decision. "You're right. Let's go."

Their group ended up making it out of the stadium with only seconds to spare. And in those last few seconds, Shizuru, Koenma and the ogre appeared in a burst of fire and debris.

As the dust settled, the survivors stared out into the smoking wreckage, transfixed by the remains of the stadium. Whether it was lives, fame, glory, freedom, or something in between - the Dark Tournament had taken more than it gave to most of its survivors.

But it was the complete opposite for Hiei. He stared down at the dragon tattoo winding around his arm, reveling in the new power thrumming in his veins. The tournament had not only given him strength, but a newfound clarity as well.

He used to think he could do everything alone, but the fierce nature of the competition was a rude awakening. No matter how many victories he claimed, no matter how many opponents he sliced to ribbons, he couldn't have made it this far without the strength and sacrifice of his teammates. He was forced to trust in his allies and rely on their combined efforts. And it wasn't until the finals that he truly allowed himself to relinquish his misgivings and put his faith in them.

Relying on others and having them rely on him in turn was a strange concept to wrap his mind around after a life saturated in solitude, but he supposed he had all the time in the world to get used to it now.

He regarded the stadium and its remains one last time as the two announcers declared Team Urameshi the victors of the Dark Tournament.

It was over. He met the ferry girl's relieved gaze and nodded at her. It was finally over.


Later that evening, they were riding high on the coattails of their victory. Yusuke claimed Genkai would want them to celebrate, so he rounded up the remaining contestants and audience and organized a victory party to commemorate their win.

Botan stood in the hallway with the rest of her friends. They had all dressed up in casual, but fashionable party-wear and were ready to head downstairs. All of them except for one person.

"Where's Hiei?" she asked, glancing over at the boys curiously.

"Where do you think?" Yusuke retorted. "Mr. Antisocial refused to leave the room."

"Well, that's no good!" she pouted.

"Perhaps you might have better luck with him," Kurama encouraged.

"Alright, I'll see if I can wrangle him up," Botan announced. "Just leave it to me!"

"If anyone can get him to pull that stick out of his ass, it's you," Yusuke said through a smirk and a salute. "See you down there."

Botan waited until the others were out of sight before knocking thrice on the door. Predictably, there was no response, just resounding silence.

"Hiei." She pushed the door open tentatively. "I'm coming in!"

She found the fire-demon seated on the windowsill, staring out at the twilight soaked sky. His hair appeared to be damp, drooping slightly as his dark bangs obscured the jagan eye from full view. He was wearing a sleeveless fighter's robes over a white long-sleeved shirt and his signature black pants. The robe's deep blue material made for a pleasant contrast to all the black the fire-demon usually donned.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"Do what you will, ferry-girl," he answered, expression uncharacteristically reflective.

Botan took a seat on the opposite end of the windowsill, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pink dress. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," he admitted as hues of the amber sunset washed over his face. "The dragon took more out of me than I thought it would."

She glanced at the dragon's head visible on the back of his hand. She managed to see glimpses of the full tattoo earlier today from afar, but seeing it up close was a whole other story. "How does it feel to have finally tamed it?"

Hiei was silent for a moment, but then his eyes were on hers. "Hard earned."

"I can imagine. You boys really had us at the edge of our seats. And when the dragon swallowed you whole, I didn't know what to think…"

"I told you I wouldn't die."

"And I held onto those words," she replied softly. "I'm glad you kept your promise. I knew you wouldn't disappoint."

"…"

Botan sidled up closer to the fire-demon. "And now that the hard part is over, don't you think you owe yourself a little leisure?"

"I'd hardly consider any party thrown by the detective to be leisurely."

"Oh come now! It'll be nice to join in on the festivities and relish in your victory. Are you sure you don't want to go?"

"Positive."

"Not even just for a little while?"

"Not even at all."

"Hiei…"

"Nothing's stopping you ferry-girl," he said, facing the window once more. "You're free to go."

"I don't want to go. Not without you."

Hiei's reflection displayed a look of surprise for the briefest instant before it was covered behind his stoic facade. He grumbled something disparaging under his breath as he continued to stare out the window and Botan's gaze softened in turn.

It was almost hard to believe that Hiei was once their enemy. She remembered how cold and mocking his voice was when he first invaded her mind with news of Keiko's capture. She recalled how sharp and caustic his gaze was as he glared at them in the warehouse. And how lethal and malevolent his aura was as it surrounded them oppressively. That past version of Hiei was so unrecognizable compared to the man who comforted her yesterday and the friend who sat beside her right now. While she adored every single member of the team, Hiei had always been different. He was the one she sought out the most often. He was who she spent nearly all her time with. He was the one who made her feel safest. He was the one that allowed her to be herself, no matter how odd or peculiar she was by her world's standards.

"What is it?" Hiei asked.

"It just occurred to me that you're my best friend," she confessed.

Hiei frowned. "You must have an abysmal pool of prospects if I'm considered the best."

"It's not like that! You know I love them all dearly, but I feel the closest to you."

"..."

"Well? Aren't I yours?"

"You're my only friend. I suppose by default, you'd be considered the best."

A smile dawned over her features, lighting up her expression.

"And by that logic, it also makes you the worst," he finished, taking a stand.

"Hey!" Botan's face promptly fell, frowning at the fire-demon as he turned his back to her in favor of swiping his bandana off the table. "That's-"

"One hour," he cut in as he secured the white cloth around his forehead. "That's the longest I'll give you and your precious party."

Botan let out an excited squeal, ire long forgotten, as she jumped to her feet and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"...I should be the one thanking you, woman," he replied lowly.

She released him, surprise washing over her features. "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing," he dismissed, pushing his hands into the folds of his pockets. "Let's go. The sooner we arrive, the sooner I can leave."

"That's not a very sociable attitude…"

"I'm not a very sociable person."

Botan bit back her amusement as she matched strides with the tetchy fire-demon. For the first time in a long time, there was nothing malevolent lurking around the corner. No known evils threatening to emerge from the darkness. No ghastly specters haunting their waking thoughts.

The nightmare was finally over. And Botan was more sure now than ever that if the team banded together, there wasn't a single thing that they couldn't overcome.


And that's the end of the DT, folks!

Please drop a review if you enjoyed this chapter. You'll make my day~

Catch you next time!